Rockville, MD, USA—The Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society (RAPS) has announced that 203 regulatory professionals recently earned the RAC credential by passing the Regulatory Affairs Certification (RAC) exam during the spring 2012 exam period. First established in 1991, the RAC is the only accredited, post-academic, professional credential for the healthcare product regulatory field. The exams and the criteria for maintaining the credential are developed, managed and administered by the Regulatory Affairs Certification Board (RACB) and supported by RAPS.

“The RAC credential is a respected and important distinction in the regulatory profession,” said RAPS Executive Director Sherry Keramidas, PhD, FASAE, CAE. “It’s highly desirable among regulatory employers, and RAPS’ recent 2012 Scope of Practice & Compensation Report for the Regulatory Profession shows that it is correlated with higher compensation.”

According to RAPS’ research, RAC holders in the US, on average, earn about 10% more than their counterparts without the credential. Interested individuals can use RAPS’ salary calculator, available online at www.RAPS.org/salary, to see the credential’s potential impact.

RAC candidates sit for any of four versions of the exam: the RAC (US) covering US regulations, the RAC (EU) covering European regulations, the RAC (CAN) covering Canadian regulations and the RAC (General Scope), which covers general regulatory responsibilities and international standards. The RAC exam is intended for regulatory professionals with at least three to five years of regulatory experience.

A complete list of the spring 2012 class of RAC-credentialed professionals is published online in RAPS’ Regulatory Focus.

Registration for the autumn 2012 RAC exam period, 1 October–30 November, is currently open through 8 September. More information is available online at www.RAPS.org/certification.

About RAPS

The Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society (RAPS) is the largest global organization of and for those involved with the regulation of healthcare and related products, including medical devices, pharmaceuticals, biologics and nutritional products. Founded in 1976, RAPS helped establish the regulatory profession and continues to actively support the professional and lead the profession as a neutral, non-lobbying nonprofit organization. RAPS offers education and training, professional standards, publications, research, knowledge sharing, networking, career development opportunities and other valuable resources, including Regulatory Affairs Certification (RAC), the only post-academic professional credential to recognize regulatory excellence. RAPS is headquartered in suburban Washington, DC, with offices in Europe and Asia, and chapters and affiliates worldwide. RAPS.org